Healing Green
by Wordgawk
Summary: Celty's newest decoration to Shinra's coffee table benefits them and even Shizuo.


**Author's note: Despite Celty's headless state and no facial expressions, she became a favorite character of mine.**

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><p><strong>Healing Green<strong>

"Hello, hello, hello, Celtyyyy!" came the exuberant greeting as Celty stepped through the front door of home. He was always happy to see her, but this afternoon was unique because she came back before dark. Being an underground courier was strictly a night job.

But this outing, Celty wasn't delivering or picking up a dubious package. Far from it. She wanted a change of pace and chose to head out into Ikebukuro when the sun and people were out.

Well, there had been that short trembling moment when she paused at the doorstep as she thought about the scary policemen on motorbikes with their wailing sirens and blaming voices. She considered not going, but then scoffed at herself. She was a citizen of Japan and she had the right to loiter around in town as much as the next human being.

And she had a blast. Chatted with Simon during a slow moment of his sushi-promoting. Saw a cheery uproar at an autograph signing for a manga involving that Kadota and his friends. Why, Celty even witnessed the middle of a live show of violence brought on by none other than Shizuo and somewhere hidden in heaps of rubble, Izaya.

As Celty crossed the threshold, Shinra's eyes sparkled from his spot on the living room couch when he saw her bagged containers of takeout food. While Celty's home-cooking was atrocious at best -she was working at it- she sometimes brought back culinary delights for him.

"What's the dish today? Hmm? Ooh, I can't wait to dig in and eat whatever you brought back with those lovely hands of yours."

[Don't eat it so fast like before. It's today's Russia Sushi special.] Celty typed in her PDA.

"Mmm, specials are heaven, indeed." Shinra sighed as he took the bag from her. He perked up when he saw another bag hidden behind it that Celty held on to.

[I-It's nothing as good as food.] Celty sat beside Shinra. She dared to go shopping for paltry things, having expected mayhem to ensue. Everything went remarkably smooth.

"But you made it back ok!" Shinra exclaimed what rolled through her mind. He set the takeout on the large table in front of them. "What else did you get?"

Hesitating, Celty suddenly thought her purchase seemed dumb. Her whimsy prompted the buy.

Was it? The trinket had tipped her fawning radar.

[It's not inappropriate for me to randomly shop is it?] The activity hadn't occurred to her to do on a regularly basis. Doing it felt foreign.

"I think it makes you all the more feminine, my dear." Shinra grinned, obviously not having any problems with her tossing cash around in stores.

Taking out the little box from the second bag, Celty opened it up. Shinra leaned in to peek and she pulled out a plastic potted flower. She placed it on the table, then punched a few digits in her PDA before waving its light in front of the miniature pot.

Nothing happened and Shinra pursed his lips. Celty wiggled the light of her PDA hand closer to the sensor on the toy.

"I don't know what you're doing, but-" Just as Shinra was about to finish his sentence, the small plastic flower inside the pot began shaking from side to side. The movement mimicked the sway of a hula dancer's hips. Both of them watched in fascination. Despite being a cheap hunk of molded plastic, the motions had a zen-like effect.

Celty wanted to add something else to the table besides the cactus plant that was always here. Liven up the area. The appeal of a simple dancing flower jogged her need to own something adorable. Even if it was silly.

[What do you think? Should I return it?] Celty fretted; she rarely bought anything other than essentials and even then they were primarily for Shinra.

Shinra was shooting her a doting stare. An all-too-familiar stare which often ended in a spring of a hug. "Oh, Celty, you're so cute! You got something girls totally love!"

Her PDA almost flew out of her grasp when Shinra's hug bowled her over. His arms flew around her shoulders and he began cooing at her capacity for not only being sexy but also an endearing woman.

The doorbell buzzed. They stopped and Shinra groaned in disappointment. He made no move to rise. Celty didn't really want to get up, either, but it'd be rude not to check.

"Why do I have to answer? They can wait." Shinra snuggled up against Celty's full chest.

[Don't be idiotic! Get the door.] Celty punched in with much emphasis.

"No. I'm staying right here on the couch with you and this amazing flower that has made you blossom into such an irresistible lady."

One swift jab to his solar plexus disengaged Shinra and he coughed. He pushed himself off the couch, grumbling as he went down the hall to the source of the ringing. "You're not romantic at all. Don't you see we were in the best mood?"

A puff of denser black smoke rose from her body as she crossed her arms. What was romantic about a one-sided squeeze fest? Maybe she wanted to do the same, but Shinra wouldn't let her. Besides, they had company.

"What did I tell you about taking it easy?" Celty heard Shinra's faint reprimanding tone nearing from the hallway.

"Hell will freeze over before that moron lets me off easy," replied a gruff, deep answer from a familiar person.

Shinra emerged with Shizuo, who limped with each step. Blood seeped through one of his pant legs from the thigh down. Contusions dotted his cheek and thin cuts laced his arms, regrettably ruining the sleeves of his long shirt from the disgusted look the blond gave them. His vest didn't fare much better; caked dirt and mangled buttons.

"Yo. How goes things?" Shizuo said to Celty with a crooked smile. He flopped into the empty space Shinra had vacated and laid his head back. Shinra left to presumably fetch his medical supplies. As usual.

[So what did you use this fight?] Shizuo's extraordinary battles routinely alternated weapons, from mailboxes to snack vending machines. There was also no real point asking who he fought with; there was only one insane man willing enough to cutthroat with the fighter and inflict any semblance of damage.

"I got great use out of a produce truck. It was a really tiny one and thankfully empty. Sailed like the wind, that baby." A hearty laugh escaped Shizuo. "I managed to impress my fist in that dumbass Izaya's face. It made my whole day. I don't care I didn't win at _all_."

[Oh, really?] came Celty's teasing text. She knew how important winning was to him.

Which was proven when Shizuo's eyebrow twitched. He could say the words but he couldn't hide his expression. "Well, mostly don't care."

Celty lightly patted his shoulder in congratulations anyway, instantly drawing away at Shizuo's wince. More blood stained the pristine white of his tattered shirt.

She motioned for him to remove his half-ripped vest so Shinra could patch him up. The tall man didn't move and Celty defiantly put her hands on her hips.

Shizuo shook his head at her persistence. "Yes, ma'am." Shizuo gingerly picked at the leftover whole buttons, not putting effort into the action.

Honestly, he could be so stubbornly lazy.

Then Celty saw the stiffness in his fingers. Buttons were a chore.

He straightened when Celty set down her PDA and began prying in his place.

"Y'know, you'd make a great nurse." Shizuo's joking way of thanking her.

"She does, oh she does." Shinra reentered the room and rounded the couch with his medical kit and kneeled in front of Shizuo to examine him.

Celty was about to lodge her toes in Shinra's ribcage in flustered annoyance, but the antiseptic bottle already in his hand saved him.

Strong body or not, Shizuo would be screaming bloody murder if a wave of that stinging liquid invaded his open wounds.

So Celty sat back. Shinra's eyes flickered in personal triumph and he proceeded to grill Shizuo about his fight.

Shizuo was probably thirsty after such a strenuous fight. Celty went into the kitchen to get the water pitcher and a glass. By the time she returned, Shinra was bandaging Shizuo's chest and Shizuo had worked himself into a heated and huffy diatribe about the immoral Izaya. His voice boomed.

_Glass of water, glass of water. Calm down the bull._ Celty hurried to pour without spilling water all over the floor.

"-then he had the nerve to steal my pipe. _My_ pipe that I called dibs on! Agh, I just wanna wring his neck!" Shizuo's nostrils flared and his fists were very close to swinging at Shinra's unprotected head.

"Perhaps if you didn't possess any pipes Izaya wouldn't have cared. Hold still." Shinra began prodding at a gash on his leg.

"Pipes are my thing. I've gotta use them. They help me and are everywhere!" Shizuo was nearly bellowing. Then he completely halted his tirade. He didn't say another word as Celty passed him his drink.

His attention fixated on a spot behind Shinra on something of interest. There was nothing there except that dry spiky plant and...

...the new addition to the table. The entity spreading peace all around. Wiggling its placating leaves as no flower could boogie.

What a fine purchase.

- THE END -


End file.
